1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to device for holding a fishing rod, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a device for insertion into an existing beverage holder opening in a boat and receiving and supporting a handle of any length of a fishing rod.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,731 issued to Budd on Mar. 8, 1983 teaches an adapter for a fishing rod holder for pivoting the butt end of a fishing rod handle into the central portion of a socket assembly forming a portion of the rod holder to facilitate registry of one of a pair of perpendicularly arranged grooves in the butt end of the fishing rod handle with a transverse pin in the bottom end of the socket assembly to preclude rotational movement of the fishing rod about its longitudinal axis when assembled with the fishing rod holder. The adapter is in the form of a sleeve having an internal bore which flares outwardly and upwardly to guide the butt end of a fishing rod handle toward the smaller portion of the bore and centrally in the tubular member forming the socket assembly. In one embodiment of the adapter, the adapter has a continuous periphery and is machined to accurately fit into standard size socket assemblies. In another embodiment, the adapter is longitudinally split to enable slight variation in the external periphery to facilitate insertion of the adapter into the tubular member forming the socket assembly and to accommodate variations in the interior surface of the tubular member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,162 to Wanzor on Jun. 7, 1988 teaches a fishing rod holder cup insert member that can hold drinks without spilling or falling over. The cup can be removed therefrom and used by itself as a regular drinking cup if so desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,316 to Grauberger on Apr. 24, 1990 teaches a fishing rod holder for insertion into an existing beverage holder opening in a boat for the purpose of receiving and supporting the handle end of a fishing rod. The fishing rod holder includes a tubular body member having a flange at its upper end and a tubular receiver secured within the body member. The handle end of the fishing rod can be inserted into and retained within the tubular receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,738 issued to Harding on Oct. 8, 1991 teaches a utility device (10) for use by fishermen in and around fishing docks and boats which is designed to securely hold one or more fishing rods (27) along with a beverage container (30). The device (10) is of compact, integral metallic construction and includes a pair of fishing rod-receiving bodies (12) each equipped with a beverage container-engaging segment (28) rigidly secured thereto. The bodies (12) are in turn supported for releasable connection to a rail (44) or the like by means of an elongated channel (32) of inverted, U-shaped configuration.